1,250 Wood Elf army for escalation campaign

Hail, brothers!

Having got roughly to grips with my reawakened Warriors of Chaos army, I have decided to move on to starting up a Wood Elves army. Wood Elves are the army I have wanted to collect since I first discovered Games Workshop 14 years ago, but for one reason or another I never got into them. I've decided that the time is ripe to fix that.

I missed the opening couple of weeks of my LGS's campaign and the 1,000 point army they required, so I'm looking for a 1,250 point army to get stuck in against them 'orrible Ogres and Warriors of Chaos and Lizardmen and what-not. If you can give me feedback, I'd hugely appreciate it:

I would get the wraith the annoyance of netlings. Probably drop the dancers and a few other things to up the treekin unit to 6. Maybe a banner for one of the Glade Guard units. I think you might be able to get by with a level 3 wizard at this point level. It would save some points. Hopefully at this level you can get by without a BSB, even though they are really nice to have.

I would get the wraith the annoyance of netlings. Probably drop the dancers and a few other things to up the treekin unit to 6. Maybe a banner for one of the Glade Guard units. I think you might be able to get by with a level 3 wizard at this point level. It would save some points. Hopefully at this level you can get by without a BSB, even though they are really nice to have.

SirKently

Played my first game yesterday using the list.

I'm tempted to agree with the drop to a level 3. I actually liked the Wardancers - I was kinda thinking about dropping the Dryads, though. They didn't do me as much good as I'd hoped. Was thinking about dropping the Branchwraith and the Dryads to add a couple of Wardancers, change the archers to three units of ten or twelve and pick up some kind of more fighty Noble.

Wardancers are also more expensive than Dryads, but they fill a very similar role. I, too, enjoy wardancers and use them as bodyguards for my characters when I take them. That has been steadily been replaced by a large unit of glade guard instead. and I'll tell you why. My caster set up us a level 4 Beastweaver with a Ryhmer's Harp and either a Deepwood Sphere or a Dispel Scroll. When you put that into a group of Glade guard, you have a deceptively dangerous unit with a 5+ ward save. This also allows me to get a more defensive BSB to go in the unit as well. I give him Armor of Silvered Steel, and a Dragon Bane Gem. Where most people give him Armor of Destiny (5+/4++), I stick him in the GG and now he has a 2+/5++ with a 2++ against fire for the same number of points. If they get charged, you'll have a ton of S4 shooting attacks going back at them and you should also be able to hit back at S4 in CC with Wyldform and possibly a beefed up Savage Beast for all your characters, which is an advantage of taking branch wraiths. They're cheap, get you another dispel die, and can be affected by Savage Beast and a S7 wraith with 6 attacks is damn scary for 90 points.

Back on topic, while War Dancers are good (hell they were the best unit last edition), Dryads are cheaper and get the job done just as well as being a little stronger and tougher. Once you crest into higher points games, you'll see what I mean.

As for Fighty Nobles, I'd advise against it except on certain occasion like a Hail of Doom Arrow, but even then they're not really "fighty." If you were to drop anything for a Noble, you'd be much better off getting a BSB because it would help far more than a single guy with a few attacks.

Beastmen. My opponent had a unit of 37 Bestigors with a Beastlord and a level 2 caster, a Chariot and a unit of five Centigors led by some dude my elves hate because he's wearing a unicorn's head for a hat.

Originally Posted by ikbuh

Wardancers are also more expensive than Dryads, but they fill a very similar role. I, too, enjoy wardancers and use them as bodyguards for my characters when I take them.

I did that yesterday and then very thoroughly forgot to remove my level four caster before putting the Wardancers in the path of the Centigor unit. I'd actually go so far as to say I think that single mistake cost me the game.

Originally Posted by ikbuh

That has been steadily been replaced by a large unit of glade guard instead. and I'll tell you why. My caster set up us a level 4 Beastweaver with a Ryhmer's Harp and either a Deepwood Sphere or a Dispel Scroll. When you put that into a group of Glade guard, you have a deceptively dangerous unit with a 5+ ward save. This also allows me to get a more defensive BSB to go in the unit as well. I give him Armor of Silvered Steel, and a Dragon Bane Gem. Where most people give him Armor of Destiny (5+/4++), I stick him in the GG and now he has a 2+/5++ with a 2++ against fire for the same number of points. If they get charged, you'll have a ton of S4 shooting attacks going back at them and you should also be able to hit back at S4 in CC with Wyldform and possibly a beefed up Savage Beast for all your characters, which is an advantage of taking branch wraiths. They're cheap, get you another dispel die, and can be affected by Savage Beast and a S7 wraith with 6 attacks is damn scary for 90 points.

I'm not 100% convinced by the value of the additional dispel die at this level of game. I'm not likely to ever be facing more than one or two spells per turn and I can happily fling all my dice at getting rid of them if they're not cast with a double six. In fact, I think that my magic is not really ideally set up for such small games and I'm thinking about dropping my caster to a level 3 and getting rid of the Branchwraith altogether. I don't know if it's just my meta, but I really didn't feel like they were hugely useful.

Originally Posted by ikbuh

Back on topic, while War Dancers are good (hell they were the best unit last edition), Dryads are cheaper and get the job done just as well as being a little stronger and tougher. Once you crest into higher points games, you'll see what I mean.

It's possible that I used my Dryads badly, I suppose. But I really don't see how I could have used them any differently. I'm actually thinking about getting rid of my Dryads andmy Wardancers and stocking up on five units each of twelve Glade Guard. 750 points on the nose and I have 500 points left to spend on maybe four Treekin and a couple of characters. What would you say to that?

Originally Posted by ikbuh

As for Fighty Nobles, I'd advise against it except on certain occasion like a Hail of Doom Arrow, but even then they're not really "fighty." If you were to drop anything for a Noble, you'd be much better off getting a BSB because it would help far more than a single guy with a few attacks.

I was actually considering a BSB with magic bow and the Hail of Doom Arrow. Viable?

beastmen. My opponent had a unit of 37 bestigors with a beastlord and a level 2 caster, a chariot and a unit of five centigors led by some dude my elves hate because he's wearing a unicorn's head for a hat.

Beastmen are a fun and fluffy opponent. I wonder if you mean morghur, master of skulls.

i did that yesterday and then very thoroughly forgot to remove my level four caster before putting the wardancers in the path of the centigor unit. I'd actually go so far as to say i think that single mistake cost me the game.

It happens, though i wouldn't have put my wardancers in the path of centigors unless i planned on sacrificing them for some reason. When you use them as bodygaurds, keep them in the woods with your weaver because then you're stubborn and everything else isn't and is in trouble.

i'm not 100% convinced by the value of the additional dispel die at this level of game. I'm not likely to ever be facing more than one or two spells per turn and i can happily fling all my dice at getting rid of them if they're not cast with a double six. In fact, i think that my magic is not really ideally set up for such small games and i'm thinking about dropping my caster to a level 3 and getting rid of the branchwraith altogether. I don't know if it's just my meta, but i really didn't feel like they were hugely useful.

Whatever fits your meta. At lowered points, though, level 3 should be more than fine, but i still find that it's nice to have the extra dice sometimes. For example, if the winds roll doubles, then you're hurting. Take double 4, you have 4 dice, he has 8. If people only bring level 2 wizards at this points level, i would suggest taking a divination sphere (i'd do it anyway, actually) instead if you don't want the wraith. He's only going to be casting 2 spells and chances are he'll be using more than 3 dice on one or both, which gives you another die anyway without the need of the radiants. You're right though, it's not 100% needed yet.

it's possible that i used my dryads badly, i suppose. But i really don't see how i could have used them any differently. I'm actually thinking about getting rid of my dryads andmy wardancers and stocking up on five units each of twelve glade guard. 750 points on the nose and i have 500 points left to spend on maybe four treekin and a couple of characters. What would you say to that?

I have 80+ some odd archers, and i can say that spamming them can be fun. It's not exactly "competitive" but the number of s4 shots that happen when they cross the threshold can be intimidating. You'll want something in the background to make them think about who they want to charge. Treekin work well here and dryads do as well. Hide them right behind your archers and then flee as your reaction. You'll go right through them (trees are also fearless btw) and they'll suddenly be dealing (possibly charging) a unit of trees. If they redirect, then they run the risk of being flanked by them as well.

In this scenario, I'd take a level 3 beastweaver with a rhymer's harp, put it in a unit of 24 gg with full command, and have 2 smaller (5x2) units of gg with musicians, which runs you 850 points. Then stick a bsb with silvered armor and a dragonbane gem in the big unit, putting you at 990 and exactly enough for 4 treekin.

i was actually considering a bsb with magic bow and the hail of doom arrow. Viable?

It's not as viable as you think because that means your bsb is horrendously vulnerable. There's not much survivability in an unarmored t3 model with 2 wounds. Don't get me wrong, the HoDA is amazing at lower points games, but it's not worth the risk to your BSB, which is a large handful of victory points to your opponent if he dies.